Crownsville #2 Review

 

Writer: Rodney Barnes

Artist & Colorist: Elia Bonetti

Letterer: Marshall Dillon

Cover Artists: Jason Shawn Alexander & Elia Bonetti

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 10, 2025

 

Paul Blair's mother told him about an incident that weighed down her soul. As he mourns her passing, the journalist wants to tell a story that matters before he retires. Todd Hicks' decisions prevented him from entering the Police Academy. Becoming a security guard gives him another chance to shine. He hopes it will give his family the life they deserve.

 

Mike Simms dreamed of one day leaving to pursue life as a screenwriter in Hollywood. Instead, the Homicide Detective watches as gang violence and drugs devour his hometown. How will a shuttered mental institution unite all three guardians of their community? And can they do right by the patients once interred within its walls? Let’s leap into Crownsville #2 and see!

 

Story

The Crownsville State Hospital may have closed its doors. Yet it still claims victims. The latest is Dennis Thompson, a retired police officer who hanged himself while guarding the premises. Todd Hicks had just embarked on his new career when he found the decorated cop’s body. Now, Todd’s wife wonders why she hasn’t seen him in days.

 

Crownsville #2 begins with a dream. Homicide Detective Michael Simms relives happy times from his youth. Yet as those memories play out as recurring dreams, they remind him of his tragic past. Like journalist Paul Blair, Michael's mother had a link to Crownsville. While Paul seeks a story to help him look back on his career with pride, Mike wants to know why a respected brother in blue hanged himself in an empty building.

 

As Rodney Barnes sends these men on an extraordinary journey, he also transports them into their pasts. Entering this world of unhappy memories will force both men to confront long-buried truths. But there is a price to pay for gaining dark knowledge. And if Mike and Paul are not careful, it could be their sanity that's at risk.

 

Art

Elia Bonetti opens Crownsville #2 with a celebration. The distant Ferris Wheel, roller coaster, and amusement park rides glow. Their light infuses the night with energy. As in Jaws, a darkened figure eschews a beach party for the ocean. Moonlight illuminates the waves, evoking the rich tapestry of life below the surface.

 

Elia Bonetti paints scenes with a limited palette. Colors contrast, while light and dark battle. Silhouettes surrounded by light give way to glowing people shining like beacons in darkened rooms. In Crownsville #2, lines scratch panels, black revealing depth and shadows, and white suggesting characters’ auras.

 

Marshall Dillon shares memories with black, uppercase letters in lavender narrative boxes, and present-day dialogue in white balloons. When the past comes alive, the spirits of the departed speak into gray-white balloons, while laughter and screams echo through dark halls of the Crownsville State Hospital. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While addressing how traumatic events affect us in unexpected ways and leave their mark where they occurred, Crownsville #2 reminds us that decision-makers, workers, and observers have a responsibility to report wrongdoing.

 

Rating 9.8/10 

 

For more see my cover preview of Crownsville #2. 

Killadelphia TP Vol. 5 Review

 

Writer: Rodney Barnes

Layouts & Inks: Jason Shawn Alexander

Penciller: Germán Erramouspe

Colorist: Lee Loughridge

Letterer: Marshall Dillon

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $16.99

Release Date: June 28, 2023

 

Ananzi, the trickster god, worries that the fighting on Earth is growing too fierce. He seeks an ally in Corson, but the demon says, “Let it rage!” Can Ananzi prevent Heaven from sending down angels and initiating Armageddon? Let's leap into Killadelphia TP Vol. 5 and find out!

 

Story

Vampires roam the streets, killing all they find. While some who die become vampires, others who return to life fight them. Thus, historical figures like George Washington and John Adams--former presidents of the United States of America--are reborn in Philadelphia, the city of America's birth.

 

Rodney Barnes doesn't just focus on the white leaders of America's Revolutionary War. He spotlights their wives and the slaves who served and sacrificed for them. He also brings in black leaders like Toussaint Louverture, who fought in Haitian Revolution against France in the same era.

 

The conversation gradually changes as Killadelphia TP Vol. 5 continues. Characters take the spotlight only to die amid the fighting. Ananzi seeks the aid of his fellow gods, realizing he owes his existence to Human believers. Resurrected fighters—who've lived through many eras and seen our nation endure the Covid-19 Pandemic and Black Lives Matter—ponder the relationship between law and ethics.

 

As each chapter—or issue—has a name, so does this volume: There's No Place Like Home. The final story focuses on two boys growing up in the inner city. While Seesaw knows the rules of the streets, Ray has his head in the clouds. Seesaw worries his friend is naïve and spends too much time reading books. Amid all the fighting with vampires and demons, it's a relatable story that speaks to the heart.

 

Unaided by an introduction, you may feel lost in Killadelphia TP Vol. 5. But even if you don't understand everything, it's hard not to love this trade. It also helps that this collection of the latest issues appears before the next ones hit the stands. I don’t want to throw out any spoilers, but the last issue hints that a significant Image character will join the action. This revelation leaves me excited and looking forward to forthcoming issues.

 

Art

As Corson spawls at a table in a restaurant he once frequented, hellfire burns in his eyes and mouth, horns twist above his head, and batlike wings splay out to either side. Fighting rages in the streets: blood sprays from severed limbs and heads. When a vampire dies, its body explodes. Toussaint Louverture wields two swords, and his cadre of fighters brings to mind Blade, Electra, Ninjak, and Ronin from Avengers End Game.

 

In her dressing room, TV meteorologist Octavia Morris transforms into the goddess Oya, radiant in her half-naked, tribal attire. Ananzi, often seen with spiders, visits Odin in the clouds. Reliving childhood memories, Seesaw shoots hoops with street predators while Ray sits nearby, listening to music through his headphones and reading I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.

 

Rough lines define characters, and heavy inks increase the drama in Killadelphia TP Vol. 5. Direction lines suggest action, indecision, or realization. Buildings appear adorned in architectural detail, while others are blank in places, with just the suggestion of their appearance. Crosshatching, stippling, and barely controlled inks impart a hand-drawn feel.

 

Limited color schemes change with scenes. Ananzi’s reflections while sitting in a tree and Seesaw's childhood memories glow with light. Interior scenes—such as when Seesaw's old flame reappears—wade through tans, browns, and purples. Yellows, oranges, and reds heighten the fighting. Clearly defined light sources provide highlights and shadows.

 

Black uppercase letters haunt white dialogue balloons in Killadelphia TP Vol. 5. A black or white line leads to the speaker. Red lettering and a red direction line accompany Corson's words. Memories and thoughts inhabit colored narrative boxes. Vibrant, energetic sound effects heighten the otherworldly action in the easy-to-read volume.

 

Final Thoughts

While vampires and Humans make Philadelphia’s historic streets their battleground, Killadelphia TP Vol. 5 ponders how far America has come in two-and-a-half centuries. The volume asks if ethics evolve, explores the role of religion in our lives, and reverences the stories we value.

 

Rating 8.5/10

 

To view issue covers art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Monarch #5 Review

 

Monarch #5 Review

Writer: Rodney Barnes

Artist: Alex Lins

Colorists: Luis Nct & Mar Silvestre Galotto

Letterer: Marshall Dillon

Cover Artists: Alex Lins & Luis Nct; Chris Visions

Publisher: Image

Price: 3.99

Release Date: June 14, 2023

 

Daysha lies injured. Floating orbs order Travon to return. The boy—an alien born to fit in on Earth—defies his people. Will the alien invaders kill the boy destined to be their ruler? Let’s tune into Monarch #5 and find out!

 

Story

The floating orbs injured Daysha. Travon remembers growing up on Earth. He fell in love with Humans, even if they're more interested in their pursuits than safeguarding their future. The orbs order Travon—their Monarch—to return. Instead, he protects Daysha and Kurtis by hurling lightning at them.

 

Thanks to Travon’s protection, Daysha recovers. Travon may love her, but she's uncertain of her feelings about him. He explains his origins and mission, but she has trouble believing his loyalties have changed. Can she forgive his deception and return his affection? Is friendship with Travon even possible anymore?

 

Once again, Travon's mind drifts to his past with his adoptive sister Marli. We see little more of Travon’s past with Daysha in Monarch #5 than events we witnessed in the first issue. We also know little about big-haired Kurtis, who has stood by Daysha’s side throughout the invasion. We don't even see Angie, who I presume is still in the school somewhere. And don't forget about gun-toting Todd, who I erroneously called Kurt in the last issue. He's still around, burning with anger and intent on murder.

 

 

Art

Travon’s scenes with Marli communicate how relaxed they feel together. She sits on the windowsill while he leans out next to her. They gaze at the sky. Yet his mind flits to Earth's pastoral grandeur. These contrast with urban scenes of his home world and the destruction that prompted their search for another home. Are Earthlings marching down the same path toward destruction?

 

Silvery amoeba swims across Travon's skin. While perfectly formed, the young boy wears round glasses. When he hurls lightning at the orbs, my thoughts turn to Harry Potter and the similarities between the orphans.

 

Events in Monarch #5 take place within Travon's school. Each panel shows stressed walls and deterioration since the aliens arrived. In one, Kurtis and Daysha stand as silhouettes while the orbs hover over Travon. Smoke rises from his fallen body. A welcome banner hangs from the wall, torn down the center, which feels symbolic. But then, the block-like ship hovering over Compton speaks evocatively too.

 

Black uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons. Colored narrative boxes relate to memories and offscreen dialogue. The font is as easy to read as it is to love Monarch #5.

 

 

Final Thoughts

We all have an origin story. Yet life changes us. What happens when we no longer want the life we envisioned? Can we belong somewhere else? Or does switching sides mean we'll never belong anywhere?

 

Set against a backdrop of alien invasion, Monarch #5 wrestles with profound questions that--sooner or later--each of us must ask ourselves.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Monarch #4 Review

 

Writer: Rodney Barnes

Artist: Alex Lins

Colorists: Luis Nct & Mar Silvestre Galotto

Letterer: Marshall Dillon

Cover Artists: Alex Lins & Luis Nct; Chris Visions

Publisher: Image

Price: 3.99

Release Date: May 10, 2023

 

Kurt’s mother walked out on him. His father found solace in alcohol. So where does that leave Kurt? And how are Travon and Daysha faring amid the alien invasion of Earth? Let’s leap into Monarch #4 and find out!

 

Story

Kurt’s never fit in anywhere. Other kids at school—and on social media—seem happy. Yet he doesn't desire that. Anger sustains and drives him. With aliens destroying society, he can’t afford to weaken. He can't trust friendship. He can't give in to sadness. He needs to protect himself, which means protecting his anger.

 

Although he was integral to their plans, the aliens now realize Travon has turned against them. He races toward the school, focused on saving Daysha. In the previous two issues, writer Rodney Barnes defined Travon more by his relationship with Miss Wilamae and Marli, his foster mother, and sister. Now he neither mentions nor mourns them. I wish I’d seen more of Travon’s relationship with Daysha. Perhaps then I'd understand why he's turning his back on his kin--an entire species--solely for her.

 

I like how Barnes interweaves story strands involving Travon and those he left behind at his school. While he begins in the past with Kurt, I never confused flashbacks with scenes currently taking place in Monarch #4.

 

 

Art

Alex Lins grounds us in Kurt's home life. Kurt occasionally emerges from panels that show his neighborhood, how he dresses, and his expression and body language as he moves through his house. The boy cooks and dines alone. Left to his own devices, he discovers his father's weapons. As he sits on the front porch, his father’s features hide in shadow, only emerging when a tear trickles down his face.

 

Unlike the last issue, Monarch #4 feels newly born. While we recognize Travon covered in alien technology and the giant walkers, the art looks invigorated, and the panels are fleshed out. More than any previous issue, this seems more a tale for adults than designed for children. In addition to the walk-through of Kurt's home, I especially liked Travon’s battle with the walkers, a view inside the alien ship, and the new weapons it produces to bring Travon down.

 

 

 

 

We see Kurt's home in greens and browns. Travon's battle with the walkers leaps off the page with blues, yellows, oranges, and reds. Unlike the invading aliens, few of Travon’s panels show pink anymore. This issue seemed more nuanced colorwise than its predecessors. I especially liked a panel that shows Travon in shadow, emerging as a silhouette amid fiery destruction. Amoeba-like tech covers his dark body, and his glasses are colored orange. He may not be a liquid metal T-1000, but Travon looks badass thanks to artist Alex Lins and colorists Luis Nct and Mar Silvestre Galotto.

 

Marshall Dillon relates Kurt's story in orange narrative boxes. The first time I read Monarch #4, I would have appreciated time/place/person markers: I got a page into Travon's story before I realized that I was no longer reading Kurt's thoughts. While green narrative boxes showcase Travon's thoughts, I was tired after my Free Comic Book Day revels and didn't notice the switchover. But then, who doesn't read comics at the end of a long day? Isn't that when we need them most?

 

That said, Marshall Dillon does a fine job relating thoughts and dialogue. Despite several large—or even one-page—panels, Barnes and Lins pack nearly 120 panels into 22 pages. We encounter narrative boxes, uppercase lettering in dialogue balloons, and sound effects in most of them. Thanks to Barnes' concise writing, he and Dillon deliver a story that doesn't bog down in unnecessary dialogue or exposition.

 

Final Thoughts

Amid a Wellsian tale of planetary invasion, this series has highlighted problems such as inner-city poverty, gangs, and the foster child system. Filled with compelling art, Monarch #4 asks why people act out their pain by hurting others. And why can't we, as a society, reduce the frequency of such acts? In an era when mass shootings regularly dominate the news, these may prove the most difficult to answer.

 

Rating 9.5/10

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Monarch #3 Review

 

Writer: Rodney Barnes

Artist: Alex Lins

Colorists: Luis Nct & Mar Silvestre Galotto

Letterer: Marshall Dillon

Cover Artists: Alex Lins & Luis Nct; Chris Visions

Publisher: Image

Price: 3.99

Release Date: April 12, 2023

 

Young Marli sits on her bed, gazing out the window at the night sky. At times, she's seen the stars move. When Miss Wilamae brought Travon into their Compton home, Marli realized he belonged to those moving stars. Yes, you read that right. There is nothing wrong with your digital platform. Do not attempt to adjust your browser. You are about to participate in the great adventure of Monarch #3!

 

Story

At Travon’s school, his friends Daysha and Kurtis search for Angie. Instead, they find fellow student Todd, who acts weird and remote. On an alien spaceship, Travon feels guilty. Designed to learn about Humans, he became one. The alien collective realizes this. They have found a new home to repopulate their species. Travon must not endanger their plan.

 

After Marli’s introduction, Rodney Barnes' story stands like a tripod. The first story-leg follows Travon as he leaves the spaceship and views the devastation his people have wrought. The second gives us a global view of the alien invasion. The third and final subplot follows Daysha and Kurtis as they search for Angie.

 

Marli’s introduction was touching, but how does it fit in? The cover suggests she's taking a journey, but all we see of her in Monarch #3 belongs to the past. Is she still alive and remembering? I also enjoyed the battle for Earth, even if the invaders' intention to wipe out humanity to repopulate their species is standard alien invasion fare. Daysha and Kurtis' adventure left me wanting to know what happens next.

 

Art

Alex Lins imbues Marli’s scenes with personality. He shows us the things she loves and cares about, how she felt after the death of her parents, and how much Travon means to her. He reveals how she recognized Travon wasn't Human, which we never saw in issue #1. Scenes at the school seem less detailed. The characters exhibit less personality. The damaged interiors show how bland this impersonal space has become.

 

Travon no longer wears clothes in Monarch #3. Ameoba or circuit-like shapes cover his body, although he still wears glasses. Spaceships destroy Earth's warplanes. Giant Walkers stride across land and sea, blasting everything in their path. Childhood memories clash with the destruction of Travon's neighborhood. I liked the page composition of Marli’s scenes, the epic battle panorama, and Travon's walk through the rubble. The cross-shaped operating table seemed to shout rather than suggest. I wondered why some Walkers had three legs and others four.

 

Luis Nct and Mar Silvestre Galotto paint the alien invasion in blue and pink. Like Travon’s operating table, are they suggesting a link between the aliens' repopulation plans and the resurrection Easter celebrates? Nct and Galotto color Travon's walk through the destruction in beige and tan. Are they saying everything Mankind has built will inevitably return to the Earth? School interiors are colored green, and windows beige and tan. Yet one room is bathed in red. You'll discover what that implies when you read Monarch #3.

 

Marshall Dillon relates Marli’s thoughts in green narrative boxes. He shows Daysha and Kurtis' conversation in white dialogue balloons. Big uppercase letters grow when they shout, and spherical dialogue balloons sprout spikes. Travon's thoughts also appear in green narrative boxes. Did the alien part of him read her thoughts, and he's only now becoming aware of it? The alien collective's words appear as white letters in black narrative boxes outlined in the same blue that colors the invasion. While he uses sound effects sparingly, Dillon spelled out the children's laughter to make one panel more powerful and haunting.

 

Final Thoughts

Touching scenes deepen our appreciation for Marli. Travon's love for Mankind puts his future at risk. Epic battle scenes reveal the scope of this global conflict. Sadly, the only subplot that advances this series is a psychological drama involving less-known characters. With its echoes of War Of The Worlds--and all the radio, TV, movie, and comic adaptations of the classic novel by H. G. Wells--Monarch #3 satisfies. Better advances in the story and greater consistency in the art will help this series reclaim the awesomeness of previous issues.

 

Rating: 8.4/10

 

To see both covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch

 

 

Monarch #2 Review

 

Monarch #2 Review

Writer: Rodney Barnes

Artist: Alex Lins

Colorists: Luis Nct & Mar Silvestre Galotto

Letterer: Marshall Dillon

Cover Artists: Alex Lins; Chris Visions

Publisher: Image

Price: 3.99

Release Date: March 15, 2023

 

While Travon and Miss Wilamae sit in the backyard of their Compton, California home, little Marli studies the night sky with a telescope. The two watch her as they sip their hot drinks, and Travon raises the possibility that others live on one of the planets orbiting one of those bright lights. Wait a minute! Didn’t one of the alien spaceships capture Travon in the last issue? What’s going on here? Let’s dive into Monarch #2 and find out!

 

Story

Travon lies on an operating table. Ameoba-like tech crawls over his skin. Hovering surgical machines attend to him. He remembers a night three years ago when his former guardian, Miss Wilamae, told him about seeing an alien spaceship. She saw it plant something in the ground. Witnessing something so unique made her feel special, even privileged. Now she, and his adopted sister Marli, are likely dead.

 

The machines covering him show him how humanity's militaries throw their might against the invading spaceships. We share Travon’s sadness over losing his family, friends, and the only home he ever knew. The only mystery in Monarch #2 is why he cares so much for others.

 

 

 

 

Art

Alex Lins drew with his heart in the first issue. He helped us share Travon’s life and feel his love for his family and friends. He imbues Monarch #2 with a cold, mechanical sense of the invaders. While some of these automated machines operate on the boy, others kill humanity's defenders. The walking giants that travel our planet shoot lasers that incinerate soldiers and tanks like in producer George Pal’s War of the Worlds classic. The fighter jets that scream toward the alien mothership and battle the flying saucers remind us of Independence Day's climactic battle. Yet he lovingly shows how a seed planted by the U.F.O. sprouts and grows. If only the 2005 War Of The Worlds remake had proved as sensitive!

 

Luis Nct, assisted by Mar Silvestre Galotto, colors his characters warmly. While Alex Lins tends to ink in shadows, Luis highlights and shades faces, clothing, and everything surrounding our characters. He paints in pastels, yet his panels avoid looking too bright. He paints night scenes without graying his colors. His blues and purples night skies contrast with the luminous U.F.O.'s. Half of the reason his battle scenes prove so electrifying—and reminiscent of film classics like the 1953 War of the Worlds and The Day The Earth Stood Still are due to him. He makes the operating theater scene look clinically cold—and yet also warm—at the same time.

 

Big block letters tell us when flashbacks occur. Narrative boxes filled with background colors relate to Miss Wilamae’s experience and Trevon’s technology-boosted awareness of current events. Black dialogue boxes contrast with white balloons when the machines speak to Trevon. Rodney Barnes may give us plenty to read in Monarch #2, but Marshall Dillion’s uppercase letters are easy on the eyes.

 

Final Thoughts

This issue builds on a familiar premise to enhance our understanding of Barnes’ vision. New ideas reveal how he takes simple plot devices—from movies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Invaders From Mars—to craft a rich and sensitive story. A continuing plot thread following Trevon’s friends suggests the story will continue to grow and evolve. Oozing with warmth and ideas, Monarch #2 is a love letter to classic B-movie sci-fi. While proving a unique story, it remains grounded in caring for others and the realities of inner-city life. That, to me, seems a triumph indeed.

 

Rating 9.8/10

To preview the interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.